ENVIRONMENT | WETLANDS | FORESTS 

KAMPALA - With the effects of climate change becoming more evident, Government is not taking chances. 

The Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija has said starting next financial year, government plans to restore 850 square kilometers of wetlands and forests.

This he said will be done by first having them demarcated and gazetted and then evicting all encroachers.

“Climate change is a significant risk for agriculture production, and food security. To mitigate environmental degradation, we have set a target to increase the national forest cover from the current 12.4 percent to 15 percent,” he said.

Kasaija said the Central Forest Reserves will be protected from encroachment by re-surveying and marking 6200 square kilometers of boundary.

To do all that, he said he had allocated sh628b in the next Financial Year 2022/23 for actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

MPs call for operationalization of Tree Fund

With chunks of forest cover disappearing at an alarming rate, MPs last month asked government to operationalize the Tree Fund to enable availability of funds for tree growing both at national and local level.

As a result, the House adopted a motion to operationalize the fund and asked the minister of finance to ensure the fund is operationalized by end of June.

MP Jane Pacuto who tabled the motion argued that although the tree planting law was put in place, there are no regulations to operationalize it.

She said trees help in combatting climate change, keep the environment health and clean through absorption of pollutant gasses, source of medicines and food and also act as habitants for animals.

She argued that although the law mandates government to plant trees, there are no funds for tree planting and forest sustainability. 

“Aware that research has shown that forest cover is disappearing at an alarming rate and within a period of 15 years, Uganda has lost over 900,000 ha of forest and aware that the annual deforestation rate is 1.8% and aware that the forests are facing immense pressure from the population, let it be resolved that parliament approves a motion urging government to operationalize the Tree Fund,” she said.

Kasaija pledged to support the move and bring the regulations for the operationalization of the Fund.

“All the forests have been cut causing climate change. Where are we going? That is why am supporting this matter. Don’t worry about the money to operationalize it. 

The money will come. Where there’s a political will, there’s a way. Let’s protect the environment because if we don’t, there will be no economy to talk about. I commit to supporting the establishment of the Fund,” he said.